BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - California Gov. Jerry Brown last week ordered the first-ever mandatory water restrictions in state history. The State Water Resources Control Board is imposing an immediate 25 percent reduction in water use among the 400 local water agencies around the state.

But Patrick Sullivan with the Center for Biological Diversity says the governor failed to include oil and gas exploration in his water cutback order, despite the massive amounts of water used in fracking operations.

"The oil industry is using some two million gallons of water a day in California for fracking and other types of oil extraction," says Sullivan, "and much of that water is contaminated and taken out of the water cycle for good."

Much of the area affected by fracking is in the southern San Joaquin Valley near Bakersfield, where Sullivan says frackers are often working in areas near farmers who, once again this year, are not receiving any water deliveries from the state because of the drought.

According to Sullivan, most fracking in California uses fresh water that could otherwise be put to use for drinking water or farming. He says the water situation has become so severe that in some cases farmers are using oil operations' wastewater on their crops - and that isn't all.

"There are hundreds of oil-industry disposal wells that are dumping contaminated oil waste into aquifers in places like Monterey County and Los Angeles and Kern County," he says. "Right now, across the state."

Sullivan says the state has done a poor job of providing oversight, and added that California doesn't have effective rules regulating water use by the industry.

"There are now some rules requiring disclosure of where they're getting water for fracking and what they're doing with wastewater after they're done," he says. "But there are no real restrictions on how much water they use and where it comes from."

California typically receives more than one-third of its water supply from melting snow in the Sierra Nevada mountain range - where this year, the annual snowpack was measured at a record low of eight percent of the normal snowfall in an average year.


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North Dakota is facing growing opposition to two massive dairy operations planned near the Red River. Environmental advocates say the projects could harm water quality locally and in downstream communities - including Lake Winnipeg in Canada.

Madeline Luke, a volunteer with the Dakota Resource Council, said farms proposed in Trail County and Abercrombie would accommodate more than 37,000 animals. She said she believes the massive operations would generate waste on a scale the state has never seen.

"These dairies are situated within a mile and a half of the Red River," she said. "Any water pollution that occurs will go straight into the river and end up in Lake Winnipeg. Lake Winnipeg has been labeled the most endangered lake in the world."

North Dakota's anti-corporate farming law, which once limited large-scale livestock operations, was weakened in 2021, opening the door to more industrial agriculture across the state.

James Beddome, executive director of the Manitoba Eco-Network, said cross-border collaboration is essential, since manure runoff from North Dakota could feed algae blooms in one of Canada's largest lakes.

"Sixty football fields worth of manure slurry, and both of these operations are within one and a half miles of the Red River," he said. "The Red River then connects to Lake Winnipeg. What they're doing there is going to have impacts to us downstream here in Manitoba."

Opponents have argued that the mega-dairies threaten local water, public health and small farms, warning that decisions made in North Dakota could have international consequences. Groups on both sides of the border are urging stricter oversight before permits are finalized.

The Mississippi River tops a new list of America's most endangered rivers, in part because federal officials propose shifting flood disaster costs to states.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency's acting chief advocates moving recovery responsibilities to state governments.

Eileen Shader, senior director of flood plain restoration for the advocacy group American Rivers, which issued the report, warned it could destabilize flood protections for communities along the Mississippi.

"The Trump administration has called for FEMA to be dramatically changed, if not eliminated," Shader pointed out. "We thought it was really important to highlight the importance of FEMA and the federal role in managing disasters like flooding to our local communities."

The 2025 Most Endangered Rivers report noted it is the Mississippi's 13th appearance on the list, citing the river's history of "catastrophic floods," which have shaped national disaster policies.

FEMA has historically followed what can be described as a "locally executed, state-managed, federally supported" disaster model. Shader argued the partnership is critical for multistate crises.

"Especially we see really catastrophic events, we see national disasters declared, which opens up a lot of federal funding which can then flow to states and local communities to help them to recover and to become more resilient in the future," Shader emphasized. "It's a shared responsibility."

About 20 million people depend on the Mississippi River for drinking water, agriculture and wildlife habitat, which advocates say are all at risk if FEMA reduces flood response support this summer.


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Memorial Day weekend is the start of recreational boating season in Minnesota. State officials are encouraged by recent trends in keeping people safe on the lakes, and they hope pending permit requirements spur more awareness.

If you plan to take your watercraft out this weekend, the Department of Natural Resources reminds you to have enough life jackets on board and make sure everyone is wearing them. Be mindful of the wakes your boat creates, so paddlers and swimmers aren't overtaken by them.

Lisa Dugan, the DNR's recreation safety outreach coordinator, said boating-related fatalities have been historically low the past two seasons.

"Hopefully," she said, "it's a sign that just the safety behavior on boats is becoming more common."

Dugan said now is also a good time to get ready for a new state law that begins July 1. It'll require both adults and youths who operate motorboats to have a valid watercraft operator's permit. There are some exemptions, but in addition to a fee, the law includes a boater safety course and exam. More details are on the DNR's website.

A lot of sunshine is forecast for Minnesota this weekend, but Dugan warned that because the state is coming off a cool and rainy period, lake temperatures haven't caught up yet.

"Making safety part of your planning before you go out, and dressing in layers," she said. "Dress for the water temperature, not the air temperature, with the cold water."

While coasting along a lake or river, Dugan also warned boaters to look out for debris left by recent rainstorms. She noted water levels could be a little higher, leading to faster currents. Not only does that make it harder to steer the watercraft in certain situations, but it's also harder to see any hazards below the surface.



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